Have Christmas with me?
by hopeyx
Summary: "Have Christmas with me?" Martha and Clive both find themselves alone in London for Christmas.
1. Chapter 1

Martha sits alone in the pub contemplating the next few days over a glass of wine. She's worked so hard over the years and yet she'll be spending Christmas alone in her flat, which recently has started to feel too big, with only the two letters after her name for company.

QC. Martha Costello QC. Those two letters had made her mum so proud, although her Grandad had joked that she still needed those other three letters in front of her first name and a different surname too! Martha normally laughed at these jokes, but she didn't really think she was the marrying kind. She could only see herself even considering marriage to one person and he didn't really seem the marrying kind either. Not that she wanted to marry him, did she? No, but if he asked, she wouldn't point blank refuse_. It doesn't matter anyway, it's not like he's going to ask, it's not like we're even together _She thought to herself.

How had her mind wandered so far? She returned her thoughts to the two people she was supposed to spend Christmas with, the two people who she had made so proud, yet she always felt they were a little disappointed that her personal life wasn't as successful as her career. She was supposed to drive back home to her mum's tonight, but after a long day in court, she couldn't face three hours on the motorway. She hadn't been sure the case would be finished by today and she would have enough time to get home to her Mum and Grandad and not arrive at stupid o'clock. Her Mum hadn't sounded too upset, she didn't think, when Martha had explained that she wouldn't be able to make Christmas and would spend it in London with friends. She reasoned with her Mum that she would be fine, this case was just too good to refuse and it made sense to do things this way. Looking out of the pub window, she watched tiny flakes of snow drift to the pavement and the white sheet of flakes that had covered the ground she walked on and most probably all of the ground in the country, if the weather forecast was to be believed. 'It wouldn't be very safe to drive on the roads,' she thought. The white sheet of snow would soon turn to black ice as dark as the night sky.

Where was he? Surely he wouldn't still be at the office? He wasn't there when she popped in after court to see Billy. Perhaps he had gone straight home, to pack perhaps, was he supposed to be going to his parents too, for Christmas? She couldn't remember if he'd told her or not. She hadn't really thought of anything but the case since it began, since she was handed the brief. Now all that mattered was that they had got the right result.

They normally had drinks together on Friday nights, just the two of them. Unless he had a date, which surprisingly had been a rarity recently, in fact Martha hadn't really seen him with anyone since that solicitor, the one who had dumped him for lying to her about doing more prosecution work. By prosecuting he had lost his girlfriend, but he soon gained something he had actually had to work for, not just something that fell into his lap, as it seemed women appeared to. He too had taken Silk and had those almost magic letters after his name.

She remembered the moment he told her 'I've done it Marth! I'm a QC' He held her in his arms so tightly, then looked deep into her eyes, smiling like an excited puppy, he leaned in towards her, he was going to kiss her, in the office, in their office, she was sure of it. 'That's Brilliant, I'm very proud, I knew you could do it.' She said, slightly panicking. Her mind began to race 'Do I want him to kiss me? Do I kiss him back? Oh shit!' Then suddenly the door swung open and they jumped apart in surprise. Billy. He really did have terrible timing. 'Champagne for my favourite people, my QCs, Golden boy here and Goldilocks herself, here you go! 'He handed them both a glass. 'You coming to the pub after these, so we can properly celebrate?' Martha had smiled, raised her glass and replied 'Of course! whilst trying to work out if she was relieved or disappointed.

It was weird of Billy to open the door at that exact moment, as if he knew what they were going to do, what was going to happen between them before they did. Although hardly surprising, Billy normally knew what Martha was doing even before she did, the same for his Golden boy. She was sure that Billy loved them both equally, as he was always telling them, but they were different. He, Golden boy, seemed to fit into the world they inhabited, seamlessly schmoozing solicitors and Judges and Clerks; perhaps that was just what he was used to. Whereas Martha had to fight to get where she was, she had fought to belong, she had fought with 'Blood, sweat and every other bit of Winston Churchill.' As he had once said when describing what she gave in every trial, to a client and later drunkenly to her. She always saw the spark in his eye and she knew that he thoroughly believed in what he did, but she never felt he had the same fire and determination, the same strive to fight that she did, which was probably just as well now he was prosecuting.

She couldn't wait to tell him about her trial, how she had contradicted witnesses and evidence and defended her client as if her life depended on it. After draining her wine glass, she looked at the door and there he was, covered in snow and looking for her. Clive. Clive Reader QC


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, I'm sooo sorry it's taken me so long to update this story, but I've been snowed under with assignments now I'm back at Uni, but they seem to have subsided for now! I know that Christmas was nearly a month ago, but I really enjoy writing this and I thought that there was a few of you out there who were enjoying it too! Hopefully the remaining chapters will be updated much quicker! Anyway, I'm rambling… On with the show, er.. I mean story! :P x**

"What have you done today, you're looking particularly gorgeous." Clive remarked, pouring the wine with a look of concentration, and then smiling at her. "We got the verdict on my murder today. And you look… Snow swept." Martha replied before taking a sip of her wine, a hearty red, not just any old house rubbish, Clive had chosen it, he was much better at choosing wine than her and he had paid. '_What was he after? What favour did he need from her this time?_' She thought. He was laughing "Snow swept isn't a word, Marth. I imagine you pulled the case off wonderfully?" He asked her, she was blushing. _Why was she blushing?_ "Well, he was found not guilty, the boy. It means he can go home and spend Christmas with his mum, with his family. Wasn't easy though, the system was really against him." Martha replied "That's great; I knew you'd smash it. But did he do it?" Clive responded. He saw the flames ignite in her eyes, he had learnt to turn it off when he wasn't at work, but Martha, she was always a barrister, always defending someone, in and out of court and this time was no different. "That's not the point; he is 17 year old boy, who was protecting his family from a man who had been hurting them for eight years. Because of what he did, they don't have to live in fear, they can start again. And he isn't guilty of murder." Martha proclaimed.

"Don't say 'smash it' like you're a normal person, Mr. Lord of the manor. Aren't you off to the country residence for Christmas?" She laughed, but Clive only smirked, she had started drinking before him and clearly was seeing more of the funny side to her joke than he was. She looked so lovely when she laughed; she looked lovely all the time. There was only one time he hadn't thought she looked lovely, that look of pain and sadness in her eyes was almost too much for him to take. But now, she was still laughing at her own joke and trying to pour wine into her empty glass and looking puzzled when her glass remained empty. "Hmmm." She exclaimed "Actually no, I'm staying in London; I'm not going to my parents." She looked up. "Couldn't face the train or driving, not in this weather." He was looking out the window it had stopped snowing now. "You don't have a car Clive." She stood up. "Where are you going?" he questioned. "The ladies" she stated and stumbled off vaguely in the right direction of the toilets.

She stood in front of the mirror and stared into her reflection, her lipstick had faded and her hair had tangled, she ruffled it, _it may as well be a mess on purpose, _she thought. She looked tired and a little sad_, why did she care what her hair looked like, she was only having drinks with Clive. _But it wasn't only, Clive._ Did Clive say he was in London for Christmas?' _Martha tried to remember '_Well if, he's here and I'm here, maybe, we, nah… He probably has plans, with some woman, although I haven't seen him with anyone…. He might have plans not involving a woman. But when does Clive ever have plans that don't involve a woman. _She decided that she would just have to ask him. _No, it doesn't matter. Shut up Martha._ She straightened up her shirt and headedfor the door; she missed the handle twice and swore under her breath, before exiting to the bar.

He stood nervously at the bar and pushed his tumbler towards the barman, "Another please". He was building up to ask Martha a question, a question that he had never asked her before, and a question that could lead to a whole world of possibilities. It was just a simple question really, but lately she had gained the ability to make him feel nervous like a teenager and completely at ease, both at the same time. Clive was never nervous with women, but Martha wasn't just any woman. She was different from other women; she pulled him up on his bullshit or bad behaviour and gently flirted with him, but didn't appear to be upset when he did the same with other women. Martha listened to him; his problems, his bragging, his flirtatious and his sarcastic comments. She was his best friend; she loved him, he wasn't sure of the level of her love for him, just as he couldn't pinpoint his feelings towards her. But he knew that he wanted her to say yes to his question. He imagined how awkward it would be if she refused, he would have to take back her special present and he would have to spend Christmas alone. He had never done that before and didn't intend to start now.

He pushed a once again empty tumbler towards the barman and ordered two more glasses of the wine him and Martha had been drinking together and carried them back to the table. He thought about the box in his pocket, he hoped she'd like what was inside; he had spent ages in the jewellers deciding what she'd like and had only today picked it up on the way to the pub. He hadn't flirted with the woman in the jewellers; he hadn't even had to physically restrain himself from complimenting her hair or making a similar flirtatious comment, his mind was on Martha, but he couldn't control the smile that crept on his face as he paid. He wondered how he could ask her, this was a big deal for him, it was almost a commitment and it was to Martha, so it was extra special. He remembered the words of his ex-girlfriend, George, and heard them echo in his mind "Charm her Clive, do that thing you do with women." Clive shook his head and took a sip of his wine, his charm only occasionally worked on Martha, she liked it, but she saw through it. He was going to have to go for it and be honest.

Martha sauntered over to their table, she had messed up her hair and unbuttoned one of the buttons on her shirt, _had she always looked this good_, Clive wondered. Perhaps they just had never been this drunk together and both wearing clothes, maybe all these years he hadn't been looking close enough. He was looking now and he never wanted to look away. 'Clive?' Martha was waving her hand in front of his face and laughing. He blinked and smiled 'Sorry, I zoned out for a minute.' They both burst out laughing "Dopey sod" slurred Martha, who then took a swig of her wine. 'I'm not dopey, you're the dopey one Marth!' he replied. Martha retaliated smugly, "I'm not dopey, I won a trial at the Old Bailey today!" folding her arms over her chest. "Yeah but you got lost on the way to the toilets, in a pub you've been drinking in for 17 years!" He laughed. "Shut up Clive! I didn't get lost, I was looking around!" Martha said as she playful slapped him on the shoulder. His phone buzzed, a text from Billy; 'Merry Christmas. Take care of her, Sir.' Clive smiled and put his phone in his pocket. "Watch out or I'll prosecute you for assault!" He joked. "I Bet you would, you dirty, sexy prosecutor" She said without a second thought, before she finishing her wine. He had never found her more appealing, partly because he could almost see two of her, partly because she was flirting and she was good. She rarely flirted, but as with most women, he seemed to be able bring out that side of her.

There was barely anyone left in the pub, Clive glanced at his watch; after squinting and moving his wrist from his face, he read the time; ten to eleven. "Who are you spending Christmas with, Marth?" He asked. Martha shrugged her shoulders "Just me and the beef, I think." She exclaimed. "Might be going to Billy's later on. How about you?" She asked. Clive looked up at her "Well umm…" He began. "What would Clive Reader like to wake up to on Christmas Morning?" She mused, looking deep into his eyes. He gazed out of the window, he knew the answer, he was just trying to find the right words and then he remembered what he had needed. He looked back at her "I was thinking, a no nonsense northern blonde." Martha was stunned, her brain was saying 'I'm a no nonsense northern blonde, but he can't mean me, can he? Can he? Does he? Oooh…. ' She had definitely drank too much wine, but it was Christmas, if she couldn't get drunk at Christmas, well, the world was in a worse state than she thought.

"Actually Marth, I was wondering if you, I mean, you could say no, but would you like to, would you like to maybe have .. I …" _Why was he so nervous? It wasn't even a big deal, but it was, it could really be the start of something special, that for years he had been too blind to see._ "Would I like to have what?" She questioned. He replied with a smile and another question "Have Christmas with me?"

**Hope you liked it! Please review, it would mean the world to me! :-)**


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